Acanthophoenix

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Acanthophoenix
Acanthophoenix rubra 01.jpg
Acanthophoenix rubra
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Arecales
Family: Arecaceae
Subfamily: Arecoideae
Tribe: Areceae
Subtribe: Oncospermatinae
Genus: Acanthophoenix
H.Wendl. [1]
Species

Acanthophoenix is a genus of flowering plants in the palm family from the Mascarene Islands in the Indian Ocean, where they are commonly called palmiste rouge. A genus long in flux, three species are currently recognized, though unsustainable levels of harvesting for their edible palm hearts have brought them all to near extinction in habitat. They are closely related to the Tectiphiala and Deckenia genera, differing in the shape of the staminate flower. [2] The name combines the Greek words for "thorn" and "date palm". [3]

Contents

Description

A. rubra inflorescence in bract Acanthophoenix rubra flowers 03.jpg
A. rubra inflorescence in bract

The solitary trunks are robust and conspicuously ringed, sparsely armed in youth, with a slightly swollen base. The tubular leaf bases wrap the trunk, forming a 60 – 90 cm crownshaft covered in hairy tomentum and spines. The leaves are pinnate, 2 m long, and borne on a tomentose petiole, sparsely to densely spiny. The leaflets emerge from the hairy rachis in a flat plane, dark green above and lighter below, to 30 cm long, once-folded with a red or yellow, toothed midrib.

The species are monoecious. inflorescence sprouts at the crownshaft base, branched to two orders with a short, winged, tomentose peduncle, colored brown and bearing spines. There is a single peduncular bract, the rachis long, often spiny, bearing ivory to red rachillae. The flowers are spirally arranged on first order rachillae, subtended by triangular bracts, with pairs or single staminate flowers on the tips; the branchlets elongate and become green in fruit. [2]

The staminate flowers are asymmetrical, white to cream to red, the three sepals are short and imbricate, while the three valvate petals are three or four times as long. There are up to twelve stamens, exserted at antithesis, on elongated, slender to wide filaments. The anthers are dorsifixed, linear and basally sagittate; the pollen is monosulcate and elliptic with tectate, reticulate exine. The pistillate flowers are ovoid with three broad, imbricate sepals and as many valvate petals. There may be up to nine tooth-like staminodes or none at all; gynoecium uniocular and ovoid with broad, pendulous stigmas. The fruit is ellipsoidal to subglobose, maturing to black, with a thin endocarp, carrying one seed. The seed is round with homogeneous endosperm and a basal embryo.

Distribution and habitat

A. rubra flowers Acanthophoenix rubra flowers 02.jpg
A. rubra flowers

They are restricted to Mauritius and Réunion though the populations have been so disturbed that their ecology is poorly known. Because the islands were volcanically formed, the palms are often found on sloping terrain from sea level to 1350 meters. They are cultivated around the world.

Related Research Articles

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<i>Actinorhytis</i> Genus of palms

Actinorhytis is a monotypic genus of flowering plant in the palm family found in Oceania and southeast Asia. The lone species, Actinorhytis calapparia is a rain forest inhabitant and has very large fruit. The genus name is from two Greek words meaning 'ray' and 'fold' which describe the endosperm of the seed.

Clinosperma bractealis is a species of palm tree in the palm family

<i>Dictyocaryum</i> Genus of palms

Dictyocaryum is a monoecious genus of flowering plant in the palm family found in South America. It is closely related to the genus Iriartea; they are commonly called araque or palma real. As many as eleven species have been described but this number is reduced to three in most current accounts. The genus name translates from two Greek words meaning "net" and "nut", describing the thick network of raphe fibers around the seed.

<i>Dictyosperma</i> Genus of palms

Dictyosperma is a monotypic genus of flowering plant in the palm family found in the Mascarene Islands in the Indian Ocean. The sole species, Dictyosperma album, is widely cultivated in the tropics but has been farmed to near extinction in its native habitat. It is commonly called princess palm or hurricane palm, the latter owing to its ability to withstand strong winds by easily shedding leaves. It is closely related to, and resembles, palms in the genus Archontophoenix. The genus is named from two Greek words meaning "net" and "seed" and the epithet is Latin for "white", the common color of the crownshaft at the top of the trunk.

Cyphokentia macrostachya is a species of palm endemic to New Caledonia.

<i>Lepidorrhachis</i>

Lepidorrhachis is a monotypic genus of flowering plant in the palm family restricted to Lord Howe Island. The genus name for the single, monoecious species, Lepidorrhachis mooreana, comes from two Greek word meaning "scale" and "rachis", and the epithet honors Charles Moore, first director of the Sydney Botanical Gardens. The common name is Little Mountain Palm.

<i>Ceratolobus</i> Genus of palms

Ceratolobus is a dioecious genus of flowering plant in the palm family found in Southeast Asia, commonly called rotan. They are only differentiated from close relatives like Korthalsia, Calamus, and Daemonorops by leaf sheath appendages or inflorescence variations. The Greek genus name combines "horn" and "capsule".

Nenga is a monoecious genus of flowering plant in the palm family. It is native to Southeast Asia and commonly called pinang palm. N. gajah is the aberration in the genus with its short internodes, marcescent leaves and interfoliar inflorescence, a combination of traits seen in a few species of the closely related Pinanga and Areca palms. The genus name is based on a corruption of a Javanese term for a plant now classified within Pinanga.

Oncocalamus is a monoecious genus of flowering plants in the palm family found in western Africa. The genus is the lone member of the Oncocalaminae; once placed with the vegetatively similar Eremospatha and Laccosperma in the Ancistrophyllinae, it is now isolated based on their unusual flowers and arrangement. Such a placement argues for a long and complex evolutionary process in the Calamoideae with heavy extinction rates. The Greek genus name combines "horn" and "capsule".

Plectocomiopsis is a dioecious genus of flowering plant in the palm family found in Indochina, Malaysia, Borneo and Sumatra. Hapaxanthic and armed with spines, they are a climbing rattan, closely related to the Myrialepis palms. The name is Greek for "similar to Plectocomia", another close relative.

Pogonotium is a dioecious genus of flowering plant in the palm family found in Malaysia and Borneo. Its close relatives are climbing rattans and while partially armed with climbing apparatus, its habit is sprawling and leaning but not effective climbing. The reduced inflorescence nestled between the auricles is unusual and distinguishes it from similar relatives like Calamus, Daemonorops and Ceratolobus. The name is Greek meaning "bearded".

<i>Allagoptera caudescens</i> Species of palm

Allagoptera caudescens is a species of flowering plant in the palm family endemic to Brazil, where it is known as buri palm. The name combines the Greek words for "many" and "anther" with the name of another palm genus Cocos, and the epithet is Latin for "bearlike", referring to the hairy tomentum. It was formerly classified as Polyandrococos caudescens, the only species in the genus Polyandrococos.

<i>Ptychococcus</i> Genus of palms

Ptychococcus is a monoecious genus of flowering plant in the palm family from New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. They are closely related to Ptychosperma, only differentiated by the seed shape and endocarp type. The name is a combination of the Greek for "fold" and the Latin for "berry".

Retispatha is a rare, monotypic genus of flowering plant in the palm family endemic to Borneo, where the sole species, Retispatha dumetosa, is known as wi tebu bruang or "the bear's sugar cane". The name combines Latin and Greek words meaning "network" and "spathe", and the species epithet means "bushy". While classified with other rattans, they retain only superficial climbing organs; they sprawl and lean but are not true climbers.

Sclerosperma is a monoecious genus of flowering plant in the palm family found in Africa where three species are known. Having no obvious relatives, it does resemble the Madagascar native Marojejya though a detailed study of Madagascar's palms is required to determine if any true relationship exists. The lack of relatives, and its interesting qualities, indicate, at one time, the existence of a diverse African palm flora. The name is from two Greek words meaning "hard" and "seed".

<i>Sommieria</i> Genus of palms

Sommieria is a monotypic genus of flowering plant in the palm family endemic to New Guinea where they grow in rain forest understory. The sole species is Sommieria leucophylla. They resemble the Asterogyne palms but are most closely related to those members of Heterospathe with short stems and sparsely branched inlforescences. The name honors Stephen Sommier, European botanist.

<i>Synechanthus</i> Genus of palms

Synechanthus is a monoecious genus of flowering plant in the palm family found in Mexico, Central and South America. Commonly called bola, palmilla, or jelly bean palm, they are closely related to members of Chamaedorea, only distinguished by their flower and fruit form. The Greek genus name is a combination of "united" and "flower".

<i>Cyphophoenix alba</i> Species of palm

Cyphophoenix alba is a species of palm in the family Arecaceae endemic to New Caledonia. It was previously placed in the genus Veillonia.

Ceroxyloideae Subfamily of palms

The Ceroxyloideae are a subfamily of flowering plants in the palm family found mainly in the Americas with an outlying genus in each of Australia, Madagascar, and the Comoros. Recently revised, the former subfamily Phytelephantoideae was reduced to the tribal level and included, while the Hyophorbeae tribe was reassigned to Arecoideae; it now contains eight genera.

References

  1. Wendland, H. A. Flores des Serres et des Jardins de l'Europe 16:181. 1867.
  2. 1 2 Uhl, N. W. and J. Dransfield. Genera Palmarum - A Classification of Palms Based on the Work of Harold E. Moore. Lawrence, Kansas: Allen Press. 1987. ISBN   0-935868-30-5 / ISBN   978-0-935868-30-2
  3. Riffle, R. L. and P. Craft. An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms. Portland: Timber Press. 2003. ISBN   0-88192-558-6 / ISBN   978-0-88192-558-6